Udvada Fire Temple Decorative Additions.

Above, Left, Guardian Oxen at the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis. Right, close up of the face, royal, imperial, arched eyebrows, luminous eyes, well groomed beard.


Above 2 pictures: Winged Oxen (restored from an Assyrian palace), at the British Museum. Take a close look at the face-aristocratic, imperious.


Above picture: Correctly depicted at the Cusrow Baug Agiary in Mumbai-as in Pictures above, the Oxen/Bulls appear to "support" the structure, not free standing-this is symbolic of Geush Urvan (Soul of Divine Oxen) supporting the world.

Above : nnother view of the Guardian Oxen at Persepolis Gate of All Nations; they are sculpted to seem to be "supporting" the gate, now in ruins.

At Iranshah the recent addition of "free standing" Guardian Oxen- a closer scrutiny will show they are "sculpted" lean/thin, not in white stone, wrong colour (?), inaccurate face profile, cheap material(?); compare to the pictures above that should have provided enough inspiration.

Above picture:Pak Iranshah before recent additions-simple, but dignified, stately, and in white facade.

Above Pictures: views of Gate and more views of Oxen Guardians-Gopatshah.

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The gate figures in frontal profile are done in Hindu art forms; guards and soldiers, (as well as nobles and tribute bearers,) in Iranian bas reliefs are always in side profile. THIS WAS A FORM OF REALISM THAT THE GUARDS/NOBLES ARE DEPICTED CLIMBING THE STEPS ALONG WITH REAL PEOPLE! Frontal profiles are Hindu art form traditions, seen at innumerable temple gates in India.

THE ENTRANCE GUARDIANS- "GOPATSHAH," ON EACH SIDE OF THE STEPS, WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST WELCOME, BUT SADLY, ARE EXECUTED IN GROSSLY INACCURATE DEPICTIONS OF ANCIENT PERSIAN SYMBOLS.

THESE DISTORT THE ORIGINAL GRACEFUL HERITAGE VIEW OF THE STRUCTURE, AND DIMINISH THE DIGNITY AND SANCTITY OF ZOROASTRIANISM'S MOST SACRED SITE.

LEARNED SOURCES HAVE ALSO DRAWN ATTENTION, IF SYNTHETIC MATERIALS ARE USED, THE "KASH" (aura/vibrations/sacredness) OF THE TEMPLE WILL BE GROSSLY DISTURBED! Rules laid down in the sacred Vendidad scriptures, for the consecration of sacred temples, stipulate the type of materials allowed.

(Pictures of these decorative additions, courtesy the Traditional Zoroastrian Mailing List -TZML, are reproduced here for you to assess and arrive at your own conclusions.)

I am writing this as a concerned Zoroastrian individual.

Pictures of the Winged Oxen, from the Persepolis site, courtesy Livius.com and other websites, are reproduced above to show how these Ox- Guardians were crafted, with the graceful statues, in fact massive bas-reliefs, positioned to give a visual effect these are supporting the massive pillars-arch of the Gate of All Nations, to symbolise the belief of the "Soul of the Kine" Geush-Urvan, supporting the world.
The two guards figures on the gate are wholly inaccurate-guards in Iranian bas reliefs were always shown in side profile, the frontal profile is from Hindu religious art from that guard temples in India.

A Gujarat based Heritage Society, if any, with an enlightened vision,,with jurisdiction over the Udvada region, would perhaps have refused permission for such inaccurate depictions.
The Archaeological Survey of India has not covered this building as a protected monument because of the age of this structure, (this Wadia makaan is built in the early 1800s.)- otherwise people tampering with the original facade of a protected monument would face prosecution.

The methodology used by the Heritage Society in Mumbai, and the Archaeological Survey of India are well known, and they would have never allowed these cheap inaccurate additions.

WHILST OTHER PEOPLES EMBELLISH THEIR RELIGIOUS SITES, HINDU, CHRISTIAN, MUSLIM ETC, WITH ART, SCULPTURE, CARVINGS, IN GOLD OR SILVER, MARBLE OR GOOD QUALITY STONE, OR BRONZE ETC, WE HAVE GONE ABOUT AND DECORATED OUR FOREMOST TEMPLE WITH THESE ADDITIONS OF LOW QUALITY AND POOR WORKMANSHIP.

FOR EXAMPLES OF MODERN RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES, LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL BAHA'I LOTUS TEMPLE IN NEW DELHI. (picture above.)

THE FIRE TEMPLE IN GODREJ BAUG, Napean Sea Road, Mumbai, IS A STATELY MODERN STRUCTURE AND THE ACHAEMENID FIGURES IN STONE( pictures above) LOOK SPLENDID.
THE UDVADA TEMPLE IS OUR VATICAN, OUR GRAND MOSQUE ( at MECCA-around the Kaaba), AND IS THIS WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH?

IF FUNDS WERE A LIMITING FACTOR THAN THESE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
A LEADING INDUSTRIAL HOUSE, ASSOCIATED WITH OUR ZOROASTRIAN COMMUNITY, BUILT THE MAGNIFICENT CULTURAL CENTER AT NARIMAN POINT, MUMBAI. IF SUCH SIMILAR SPONSOR WAS NOT "AVAILABLE," WE SHOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE CHEAP WORK.

SHOW YOUR CONCERN, WRITE TO THE TRUST ASSOCIATED WITH THE UDVADA TEMPLE AT :
N. M. WADIA CHARITIES,
N. M. WADIA BUILDING, 1ST FLOOR.
123 M. G. ROAD,
FORT, MUMBAI 411001
Take a printout of this write up and include with your request to remove or replace these additions. Unfortunately this Trust has no email address, so post your letter.

We also appeal to High Priests, Vada Dasturjis of Udvada Iranshah, Dastur Dr Peshotan Dastur Hormuzdiar and Dastur Khursheed Dastur Kaikobad to use their high religious obligations and ask for removal of these additions, or have these redone, funds permitting, to add to the sanctity of our highest religious place. We also appeal to all the other High Priests, Vada Dasturjis, to examine what has been done, express their valued opinions and ask these inaccurate cheap and garish additions be removed.

THIS IS A NON-COMMERCIAL BLOG WITH NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER TO CREATE CONTROVERSY OR PLACE THE TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST, THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRUSTEESHIP OF THE TEMPLE, IN ANY AWKWARD SITUATION.

OUR FERVENT AND SINCERE PLEA IS, THE NEW GATE AND THE TWO BULL STATUES BE REMOVED, OR REPLACED WITH THESE SAME SYMBOLS DONE IN WHITE STONE, OR MARBLE, BRONZE, EXECUTED RESPONSIBLY IN HIGH ARTISTIC STANDARDS, FITTING FOR A HOLY SITE, THUS RESTORING THE HERITAGE VALUE OF THIS SACRED BUILDING.

PLEASE DO NOT BE COMPLACENT, DO NOT BE A MERE BYSTANDER, THIS IS ZOROASTRIANISM'S GREATEST SITE; INSTEAD OF UPGRADING WE HAVE DOWNGRADED IT'S AESTHETIC APPEARANCE, BY VERY POOR ARTISTIC WORK.

LET OURS NOT BE THE GENERATION THAT WILL BE SEEN AS DECADENT, "I DON'T CARE,"- LEAVING FUTURE GENERATIONS TO LOOK AT THESE AND SAY, COULD WE NOT AFFORD ARTISTIC WORK OF HIGH STANDARD AT THIS MOST IMPORTANT OF ZOROASTRIAN SITES?."

BESIDES, HAVE WE STOPPED CARING HOW OUR SACRED TEMPLES AND SITES ARE PRESENTED TO THE WORLD.

THE PURPOSE OF DECORATIVE ART AND SCULPTURE AT RELIGIOUS SITES ARE DONE TO ENHANCE THE SANCTITY AND DIGNITY OF THE RELIGION AND THE RELIGIOUS SITE-AT UDVADA THE ADDITIONS HAVE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT!

OTHER BUILDINGS BUILT FROM MUNIFICENT DONATIONS FROM PARSIS, IN MUMBAI, ARE SUPERB HERITAGE BUILDINGS -J. N. PETIT LIBRARY BUILDING, ELPHINSTONE COLLEGE BUILDING, SOME WINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI, THE TAJ MAHAL HOTEL, EVEN MODERN STRUCTURES LIKE THE JEHANGIR ART GALLERY, THE TATA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS............AND NOW WE HAVE GONE AND DESPOILED OUR UDVADA "MAKAAN" WITH CHEAP ADDITIONS......HAVE WE LOST ALL SENSE OF PROPORTION.

Here is link to the Traditional site , please read.

(OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES WE HAVE DEVELOPED A "WORLDVIEW" THAT ENSURES WE ARE SINCERE, DYNAMIC, HONEST IN WHATEVER WE DO; IN MATTERS RELATING TO RELIGION AND COMMUNITY WE PREFER A LOW PROFILE-I HAVE RAISED AN ISSUE, THIS ONE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE-WE TEND TO BRAND "TROUBLE MAKERS" AS WE SEE THEM AS MAD, ECCENTRIC, WORTHLESS..........BUT THIS ISSUE INVOLVES OUR VATICAN, NOT JUST A RELIGIOUS PLACE BUT AN HISTORICAL PLACE, OUR FOCUS OF WHO WE ARE AS ZOROASTRIANS; PLEASE DO NOT USE THE USUAL ATTITUDE -"STAY AWAY-THIS IS SOME MAD VENTURE AS USUAL."

PLEASE USE YOUR OWN MEANS TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE, YOUR GOOD OFFICES OR INFLUENCE TO PREVAIL ON THE TRUSTEES TO CHANGE OR REMOVE THE SYMBOLS/STATUES.)

I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE DIRECTOR GENERAL -ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA ON HIS EMAIL......... directorgeneralasi@gmail.com please write there and hope for some response *

PLEASE READ THE CONTENTS OF THIS LINK, WE MAY NOT AGREE WITH ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN THIS LINK, BUT A GREAT TRUTH IS REVEALED.
"THE TRUTH IS SOMEWHERE OUT THERE
THE PROBLEM IS WE DO NOT CARE !"

References: (for Persian archaeology.) A.T. Olmstead - History of the Persian Empire.
R. Ghirshmann-Iran.
Lindsay Allen - The Persian Empire.


Geve Narielwalla
Auckland
New Zealand

My Google Earth Community posts on Parsis
on Udvada
My blog on travel to India, New Zealand and current topics: Link .

My blog on Royalty: Link
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sample of letter to the Archaeological Survey of India:

The Director General
Archaeological Survey of India.
New Delhi.

Dear Sir,

The world renowned Udvada Zoroastrian Iranshah Fire Temple, in Valsad district in western Gujarat, the holiest shrine for Zoroastrians, not only in India, but ac cross the globe, has, recently, come in for renovations and decorative additions.

These decorative statues and entrance gate motifs are done crudely, and project a grossly inaccurate depiction of ancient Persian Zoroastrian symbols, the result of poor craftsmanship. This has now seriously damaged the heritage and historical ambiance and facade of the temple.

Sir, this building, "makaan", housing the Sacred Fire that was consecrated in the early 10Th century by the Zoroastrian migrants who landed on hospitable shores of India, this building is of recent vintage, constructed in the early part of the nineteenth century, nonetheless done in old Indo-Persian style.

The pictures in this link tell all, and the write up is the silent voice of the community who are stunned at these foibles of some few who want to turn the site into some tourist attraction, but with the use of totally poor workmanship. Link.

Sir, would a building constructed in the early part of 1800s, but housing a sacred icon of worship consecrated in the 10th century, qualify for your timely intervention.

Inspite of the above age of the structure, would your intervention not be possible on the basis of structural desecration of a stately heritage building. Besides, you could ask the regional ASI or related authority to look into this and report back to you, or be adviced by you to initiate action for removal of these inaccurate and ugly works.

Sir, your action in this matter, directing the management authorities of the Temple, to dismantle the external decorations will be greatly appreciated by the Zoroastrian community, and will set an example in that region not to tamper carelessly with heritage structures.

Yours faithfully



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Reproduced here courtesy, a gentleman who wrote this on Zoroastrian mailing lists, and courtesy of Adms of TZML for my reproducing this article from their site:

Cold blooded murder of Iranshah Heritage Building in the name of renovation.

Were these fancy additions to a heritage building really necessary ? Wasn't the existing Atash Behram structure including the gate, stairs with brass banister beautiful enough that we need to create studio sets like these ? Only the lights, actors and camera crew seem to be missing.

Soon you will find fickle minded devotees kissing and hugging hoofs of the bull and statue embossed at the entrance and ask for additional blessing to fulfill their wishes. This in a way promoting idol worship which is forbidden in our religion. This sight is very common in Mumbai Renovated agairies.

That's the front side of the building. What has been done inside the premises and the open area within the Iranshah premises is even more disgusting.

The old tiles on the floor in the main hall have been replaced with white marble with stone inlay work. You get impression as if you have entered a hotel and not in an Atash Behram. The old beautiful yellow tiles on the wall have been replaced with white marble. Based on past experience we know that all this marble will turn yellow in no time. Old Brass handles and fittings are replaced with chrome fittings on the door. Brass banisters have vanished.

For Parsee / Irani Zoroastrians, Iranshah is our "Vatican".Do we ever hear of such crazy changes made to the Vatican just because some one with pots of money didn't feel the existing structure is beautiful enough. On the contrary great efforts are made to restore the structure to how it was when it was originally built.

But for the people on this Iranshah project it is not restoration but renovation. They treat this heritage structure like a 5 star hotel lobby, one that needs to be given a new look every few years to keep up with the modern trends.

What's more, all the debris of this renovation which includes the tiles, plaster, cement, old carpet pieces etc have been thrown in the open area ( behind the toilets ) WITHIN the Iranshah compound boundary. The debris has been spread and NOT piled in this open area. This clearly indicates that this mess will remain even after the renovation is over. This area which is and was used by the Mobeds for their nahan and beresnum ceremony has now become a rubbish dump.

The small room next to the main door ( where the Dadgah fire was temporarily placed in the past ) is now a dusty dumping room of old carpets, clocks, furniture etc which is understandable. But what was Alarming and Shameful is in the center of this dusty messy pile was a very valuable old huge copy of the Sacred Vendidad in ancient Avesta script. The book was completely covered with dust. Considering it is a rare scared book shouldn't the so called Vada Dastur be more vigilant ? Further shocking is the disrespectful way Zarthost Big frame is kept on the ground gathering dust. Should this be left to the workers who do not know the value of things around.

In the month of February 2008 I have seen workers in the Iranshaw Kebla hall SPITTING on the floor while working where piles of marble sheets were kept. So ignorant are these workers that even my telling them not to spit being a holy place did not register in their mind.

The embedded Kash , Vibrating flux surrounding the Iranshah Kebla is all gone. The locals - agree they also have faith in Iranshah were permitted inside the Kebla Sanctum to bow on the Stone Pedastal and light a Diva and be blessed. Good additional income to the Divawala - you know who ! Even the foreigners were allowed to go in being a tourist spot. Have all these non Parsi coming in the Kebla have taken BATH before entering ? In fact allowing them inside the Atash Behram and Kebla the ignorant worshippers have committed a sin . A grave sin is also committed by the the so called protector and guardian of Iranshah and learned Dastur of Udwada.

Does any of the Udwada Dastur and Mobeds know what is Kash and Its significance. Iranshah Fire when replaced on its throne will be nothing but a stand alone fire in the Kebla. All powers of the Iranshah Fire will be gone. This is for those who understand what I mean. All that one can say is forgive them as they know not what they have done.

Should we say Cheers to Udwada Anjuman and Wah Wah to the head ?